At a recent member meeting, FOCUS (Friends of Children United Society) welcomed a compelling presentation on how a local agency is transforming support for victims of crime through compassionate, coordinated care. Alana Herrell, Director of Victim Services at One Safe Place, shared how the organization delivers comprehensive services\u2014including for children\u2014in an environment grounded in dignity and respect.<\/p>\n
One Safe Place brings multiple agencies together under one roof to offer free services to individuals affected by child abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, violent loss, elder abuse, hate crimes, and other forms of victimization. This collaborative, \u201cno wrong door\u201d approach ensures that those in crisis can access the full spectrum of care in a single location.<\/p>\n
The recently opened One Safe Place South facility in National City\u2014just six miles from Coronado\u2014is strategically located near a known regional hotspot for human trafficking. Herrell spoke with both urgency and compassion about the center\u2019s mission, highlighting its wraparound services designed to foster healing, restore hope, and pursue justice for survivors.<\/p>\n
FOCUS\u2019s Board of Directors recently toured the facility to better understand where the organization can provide meaningful support. \u201cAgencies like One Safe Place do critical work to empower individuals at their most vulnerable moments,\u201d said FOCUS President Peggy Duncan. While the center benefits from strong funding for construction and core services, Duncan noted that some everyday essentials fall outside traditional funding streams. \u201cStaff and volunteers often use their own resources to provide basic care items\u2014such as toiletries, clothing, diapers, and comfort items for children,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is where FOCUS can step in.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response, FOCUS recently delivered a collection of toys, blankets, and craft supplies to help comfort children upon arrival. Members also contributed dozens of children\u2019s books during the meeting, all of which were donated to One Safe Place.<\/p>\n
FOCUS supports nearly 50 nonprofit organizations across San Diego County that serve children in need. The organization raises the majority of its funding through its annual gala, which will be held aboard the USS Midway on August 1. For tickets or more information, visit FocusGala26.givesmart.com<\/a>. To learn more about One Safe Place, visit ospsandiegocounty.gov<\/a><\/p>\n VOL. 116, NO. 15 – April 15, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At a recent member meeting, FOCUS (Friends of Children United Society) welcomed a compelling presentation on how a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[3211,74,76,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-271697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-coronado_island_news","9":"tag-san-diego","10":"tag-san-diego-headlines","11":"tag-san-diego-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}